National wood of the Philippines
The heartwood of Rosewood can be either golden brown or a dark blood-red, while the sapwood is pale yellow and up to 60mm wide. The wood is of medium texture and the grain is variable. Freshly cut, the wood has a fragrant odour and is often highly figured: burrs are highly prized in furniture-making.
DESCRIPTION
Botanical Name: Pterocarpus indicus
Preferred Common Name: Rosewood
Other Names: Linggoa, Sena, Amboyna, Angsana, Narra, Padauk
Species Type: Hardwood
Appearance
The sapwood of Rosewood is up to 60mm wide and of a pale yellow colour, while the heartwood can be either golden brown or a dark blood-red. The grain is variable and the texture is medium. The burrs, which gets its name 'Amboyna wood' from the Indonesian island of Ambon, are highly prized in furniture-making.
Common Applications
The attractive appearance of Rosewood has made it highly prized for furniture, veneer, turnery, and paneling. It is also used for knife handles and guitar-making. Some trees produce very highly figured burrs, which are used in the European furniture trade under the name 'Ambonya wood'.
Common Form
Sawn, Veneer
Workability
In sawn form Rosewood is easily worked with hand and machine tools. It polishes well, but the heartwood is hard to stain.
Origin of Timber
Asia, SE Asia, Oceania
Origin of Timber - Other
Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Sabah, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia
Availability - Further Information
Rosewood is listed as a vulnerable species, and small quantities are sometimes imported.
Source of Timber
Native Forest
The timber is susceptible to lyctid borer, but is termite resistant. In its sawn form it is easily worked with hand and machine tools. The heartwood is hard to stain, but polishes to a lustrous finish. Rosewood is imported in small quantities.
MAHOGANY (Eucalyptus resinifera)
Philippine Red Mahogany
Philippine Dark Red Mahogany is a tropical hardwood typically found in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Part of the extensive Shorea species, it is a popular export timber and widely used as an alternative to Teak.The heartwood of the Dark Red Mahogany comes in various shades of red, from pale pink to deep red brown. The sapwood is cream to pale grey and easily identified, with its uniformity of colour setting it apart. The wood is tightly grained with a very fine and even texture.
Philippine Dark Red Mahogany timber is generally used for exterior and interior joinery, shopfittings, boatbuilding and flooring. Once treated it can be used for exterior cladding or other uses where exposure is a factor.
The timber works well, particularly with hand tools, however some adjustment to machine knives and saw blades may be necessary due to the variation in density and grain patterns when processing large or mixed volumes because of the slight differences in the individual species. The exceptional density of the timber can sometimes lead to more visible cracking but this is generally a rarity. Carving can prove a problem due to its brittle nature and fine detailing is difficult as it has a tendency to chip easily. It does, however, machine well.
Philippine Dark Red Mahogany timber has medium bending and crushing strengths and a low stiffness factor making it susceptible to shock loads. The wood buckles severely during steam bending and care must be taken during seasoning, as distortion may be a problem. Drying will be moderately slow.
The sapwood is susceptible to powderpost beetles and marine borers and should be treated correctly in the manufacturing process.
The wood glues well and takes nails and screws, although some localised tearing of the grain can occur when being cross cut and pre-drilling is recommended near the ends to avoid splitting.
DESCRIPTION
Botanical Name: Shorea Negrosensis
Preferred Common Name: Philippine Dark Red Mahogany
Other Names: Shorea Polysperma, Shorea Sqamata, Shorea Palosapis, Tiaong, Red Lauan, Ganguile, Bataan (see also Meranti). Also sold as White Lauan when pale in colour.
Species Type: Hardwood
Appearance
The heartwood of Philippine Dark Red Mahogany comes in various shades of red, from pale pink to deep red brown. The sapwood is cream to pale grey and easily identified, with its much higher density and uniformity of colour setting it apart. The wood is tightly grained with a very fine and even texture.
Common Applications
Philippine Dark Red Mahogany timber is generally used for exterior and interior joinery, shopfittings, boatbuilding and flooring. Once treated it can be used for exterior cladding or other uses where exposure is a factor. Philippine Dark Red Mahogany's higher density material has long been prized for staircase building, entrance doors and furniture, and sometimes for window frames and sashes.
Common Form
Sawn, Veneer
Workability
Philippine Dark Red Mahogany machines well to a smooth surface, although sharp tools are advised when using lower density species, which may give a woolly cut. There are no difficulties using standard fitting and fastenings and the timber can be satisfactorily glued, painted or polished. An open grain means surfaces may need to be filled before finishing.
Origin of Timber
SE Asia
Origin of Timber - Other
Phillipines
Availability - Further Information
Supplies of timber and other timber products from the species marketed as Philippine Dark Red Mahogany are universally available, especially in the form of veneers.
Source of Timber
Native Forest, Plantation
